Networking event aims to cut red tape and highlight business support across the region

Members of the Economic Development Team at the Better Business for All workshop

Published:11:15Thursday 04 June 2015

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Cutting red tape and supporting local businesses was the topic at an event in Towcester on Wednesday, June 3.

South Northamptonshire Council (SNC) says one of its key priorities is to provide high quality regulatory services that support the growth of the local economy.

Some members of the Environmental Health Team at the workshop

The council has been working over the last couple of years to reduce the regulatory burden and red tape it puts on businesses under the Better Business for All (BBfA) government initiative.

Now SNC has now entered into a partnership with the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) to extend its approach across the region and work with other councils and organisations to cut more red tape.

Officers from SNC’s environmental health and economic development teams joined up with other regulators from councils and other agencies from across the South East Midlands at the Better Business for All event held at Towcester Racecourse on Wednesday June 3.

The idea was to give officers, inspectors and other attendees a better understanding of the business support available and the part that they have to play in the region’s economy.

Councillor Stephen Clarke, portfolio holder for economic development, regeneration and housing, said: “To create the right conditions for business growth, regulations need to be reviewed together with the way in which they are delivered locally.

“This event provided our local regulators with the chance to look at ways to reduce both real and perceived regulatory barriers to business growth in the district, as well as networking with other teams across the South Midlands to secure a more streamlined approach.”

Councillor Dermot Bambridge, portfolio holder for environmental services, said: “The event was an excellent opportunity to see how the regulatory burden on businesses can be reduced, as well as to achieve the right balance between business growth and protecting the public.”

Daniel Mouawad, chief executive of SEMLEP, said: “Our Velocity business support service has already engaged with more than 16,000 businesses across the South East Midlands.

“It’s acutely clear that we need to cut as much red tape as possible to ease the regulatory burden on our business community.

“This event at Towcester Racecourse has been a great opportunity to bring together professionals from across the entire regulatory sector from all 11 of our local authorities and discuss how best we can engage with and support our 79,000 local VAT registered businesses.”